Stick-feeding mechanism for paper-treating machinery.



F. W. MOULTON.

STICK FEEDING MECHANISM FOR PAPER TREATING MACHINERY.

APPLICATION FILED 001'. 2a, 1913.

1,123,5H Patented Jan.5, 1915.

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THE NORRIS PETERS C0,, PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON. D. c

F. W. MOULTON.

STICK FEEDING MECHANISM FOR PAPER TREATING MACHINERY. APPLICATION FILED OGT.28.1913.

has after/ @1 0 HE NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHoTo-Ll'rH k. WASHINGYUN F. W. MOULTON.

STICK FEEDING MECHANISM FOR PAPER TREATING MACHINERY.

APPLIGATION FILED OGT.28,1913. mg m m Patented Jan.5, 1915.

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Qwvemioz P. W. MOULTON. STICK FEEDING MECHANISM FOR PAPER TREATING MACHINERY. APPLICATION FILED 0012a, 1913.

1mm"? 1., Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

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vvbtmeooao THE NORRIS PETERS co FHOTU-LITHO WASHING VON. D C.

H1 FAF @FFIF 1-1 FRANK W. MOULT ON, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO STECHER LI'II-IO- GRAPHIC COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

STICK-FEEDING MECHANISM FOR PAPER-TREATING MACHINERY.

Application filed October 28, 1913.

lowing to be a full, clear, and exact descrip' tion of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawlngs, forming a part of thls speclficatlon, and to the reference-numerals marked thereon.

My invention relates to paper treating machinery, and more particularly to paper drying apparatus, and it has for its object to provide an improved apparatus characterized by a novel arrangement of devices for automatically delivering to the paper the sticks which support it as it travels along during the drying operation and thereafter returning the sticks to the feeding mechanism.

More specifically, my invention is designed with a view to extreme accuracy and exactitude in bringing the sticks into supporting engagement with the paper, the construction of the feeding mechanism enabling such a form of stick to be employed as will present a maximum supporting surface to the paper, thus affording a better bearing, Without increasing the weight of the sticks.

An additional object of my improvement resides in making the structure at a comparatively low cost, and in such a manner as to insure the necessary strength and rigidity, whereby the mechanism is not noticeably affected by the constant wear to which it is subjected.

To these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of'the specification.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a view in side elevation showing a portion of a'paper drying machine, with a preferred embodiment of the invention applied; Fig. 2 is an end elevation; Fig. 3 is an enlarged View in section, on the line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a similar view on the line P- P of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 5 -5 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a horizontal Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

Serial No. 797,768.

sectional view on the line (B -6 of Fig. 3, and Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view of the runway 38.

Similar reference numerals throughout the several figures indicate the same parts.

In the art of paper making and particularly in treating paper for applying variously colored and other surfaces, the paper is subjected to a drying process after the coloring or treating solution is applied, and during this drying operation, the strip is suspended in a series of loops or folds which move forward successively to a point of discharge, and the common practice is to support the paper while in such looped forma tion by means of a series of removable sticks supported upon a suitably traveling conveyer, the sticks being fed into supporting engagement with the paper by hand. Some effort has been made to provide automatic devices for handling the sticks, but so far as I am aware, no successful and practical automatic stick feeding apparatus has ever been devised, and while I have shown the present invention in a more or less specific embodiment, I do not wish to limit myself to the precise structure disclosed, inasmuch as the characteristic features are equally applicable in other forms without losing any of the advantages that will appear from the following description.

In the structure shown, the paper stock, designated at 1, is carried along by means of a suitable conveyer 2 which may comprise sprocket chains driven by the sprocket wheels 3, the paper being fed to the conveyer in any convenient manner, as usual in this class of machinery. At the feeding end of the apparatus, the conveyer includes an inclined or downwardly directed portion 4 provided with tappets or projections 5 which are for the purpose of receiving the sticks 6 from the stick feeding mechanism and carrying them, with the paper, up onto the horizontal portion of the conveyer, as shown in Fig. 1. A suitable turn table may be provided, together with a conveyer return section 7 for carrying the sticks back to the feeding mechanism, and the paper may be discharged onto a suitable delivering reel in any convenient manner.

In carrying out my invention, I prefer to employ a fiat stick, that is to say, a stick having a rectangular cross section and of comparatively slight thickness so that a stick of not too great weight or size can be utilized, which at the same time presents suflicient surface to the paper to properly support and carry the latter and to prevent slipping while it is on the conveyor. To this end, I provide a holder, which is adapted to receive a series of such sticks on edge, one upon the other, as shown in Figs. 3 and l, in which appear a plurality of sticks at the bottom of the holder and one just falling into position upon the others from the top of the holder after it has been returned from the paper conveyer. The holder preferably comprises suitable vertically disposed bars or guides 8 which are attached to the cross pieces 9 in such manner as to permit a lateral adjustment to allow for sticks of different thieknessl This may be accomplished by employing a series of washers 10 positioned between the cross pieces 9 and the bars 8, the parts being held in engagement by suitable bolts and thumb nuts 11. The cross pieces 9 are adjustably secured to brackets 12 which are attached to the stationary standards 13. Also secured to said standards are arms 1-1 to which are attached the vertical strips or angle irons 15, disposed for engagement with the ends of the sticks, as shown in Fig. 6. It is desirable to hold the sticks yieldably in engagement with the guides 8 and at the same time to provide means for retarding movement of the sticks as they fall from the conveyer 7 into the holder, and to this end I prefer to employ a pair of belts 16 which are guided on the pulleys 17. The pulleys 1.7 are mounted on shafts 18, suitably journaled on the stationary standards 19 and having keved thereon the sprocket wheels 20. The belts are held against the sticks by means of yieldable presser plates 21, the latter being mounted upon a cross bar 22, the springs 23 cooperating with the presser plates to hold them in yieldable engagement with the belts. By this construction, the belts l6 serve as a brake, to retard the downward movement of the sticks as they fall into the holder, and this is quite important, since it prevents breaking and chipping the edges of the sticks as would otherwise occur, and also obviates the undesirable noise that occurs when the sticks are continuously falling with their entire weight, one upon the others. In order to guide the sticks properly as they reach the bottom of the holder, so that the lowermost one is always in proper position to be ejected, as will presently be described, I provide a rear guide 24;

and a front guide 25 so that the lowermost stick assumes the position shown in Figs. 8 and 4, just prior to its discharge, which is effected by the following mechanism.

Suitably journaled in brackets mounted upon the standards previously referred to,

are chain driving sprockets 2G and 27, the sprocket 27 being fixed upon a shaft 28 carrying a pinion 29 which is driven by a bevel gear 30 that may be actuated in any suitable manner. Arranged to be driven by the sprockets 26 and 27 is a stick discharging or ejecting element preferably in the form of a chain 31 provided with suitable tappets 82 which engage the ends of the sticks successively, as shown in. Fig. 5, moving each stick laterally from beneath the series of sticks in the holder, until it is in position to be engaged by the conveyor 41-. Cooperating with the conveyor 4: is a track or runway 33 into which the stick is discharged from the holder, said runway being carried by arms 34 which are adjustably secured on brackets carried on the stationary standards. When the stick is delivered into the runway 33, it is still positioned on edge, and in order to bring the side of the stick into cooperative engagement with the paper and the conveyer, I provide means for turning it on its longitudinal axis just previous to its engagement with the conveyor 4-. This may be accomplished in various ways. but I prefer to provide the runway 33 with a deflecting means which may be in the form of an arm 85 arranged in the path of the stick and adapted to turn it from its edge onto one side. It is to be imderstood. of. course, that the parts are all mounted so that one stick will be ejected from the holder automatically and turned on its longitudinal axis to present a flat side to the conveyer as each pair of tappets or projections on the conveyer 4. come into cooperative engagement with the stick. 3G is an idler sprocket, journaled on the bracket 37 for guiding the chain 31, the holder being provided with a suitable truck or guide-way 38 in which the chain travels during its movement while discharging a stick from the holder.

I claim as my invention:

1. A. stick feeding mechanism for paper treating machinery comprising in combination, a holder adapted to receive a plurality of sticks one upon the other, yieldable devices cooperating with the sticks while in the holder and acting to retard their movement into the holder, automatically operated means acting intermittently to eject the lowermost stick, and a conveyor for receiving said ejected stick and carrying it into engagement with the paper.

2. A stick feeding mechanism for paper treating machinery comprising in combination, a holder having walls arranged to support a plurality of substantially flat sticks on edge, one of the walls of the holder embodying a pair of traveling belts and yieldable means acting to hold the belts against the sticks, automatically operated means cooperating intermittently with the lowermost stick to eject the same, and a conveyer for receiving the ejected stick and carrying it into engagement With the paper.

3. A stick feeding mechanism for paper treating machinery comprising in combination, a holder having Walls arranged to support a plurality of substantially flat sticks on edge, one of the Walls of the holder embodying a pair of traveling belts and yieldable means acting to hold the belts against the sticks, automatically operated means cooperating intermittently With the lowermost stick to eject the same, deflecting means arranged in the path of travel of said stick from the holder and acting to turn it on its longitudinal aXis after leaving the holder, and a conveyer adapted to receive the stick on one side and to carry it into engagement With the paper.

4. A stick feeding mechanism for paper treating machinery comprising in combination, a holder adapted to receive a plurality of sticks on edge one upon the other, retarding means cooperating With the'sticks upon entering the holder, and automatically operating means acting to intermittently eject the lowermost stick.

5. A stick feeding mechanism for paper treating machinery comprising in combination, a holder for receiving a plurality of sticks one upon the other, yieldable devices cooperating With the sticks While in the holder and acting to retard their movement into the holder, automatically operated means acting intermittently to eject one of the sticks, deflecting means arranged in the path of travel of said ejected stick and acting to turn it on its longitudinal axis as it leaves the holder, and a conveyer for receiving said ejected stick and carrying it into engagement With the paper.

6. A stick feeding mechanism for paper treating machinery comprising in combination, a holder adapted to receive a plurality of sticks on edge one upon the other, automatically operated means acting intermittently to eject one of the sticks by moving it in the direction of its longitudinal axis, deflecting means arranged in the path of travel of said ejected stick from the holder, and acting to turn the stick on its longitudinal axis as it leaves the holder, and a conveyer for receivingsaid ejected stick and carrying it into engagement with the paper.

7. A stick feeding mechanism for paper treating machinery comprising in combination, a holder having Walls arranged to sup port a plurality of substantially fiat sticks on edge, one upon the other, a conveyer, automatically operated means acting intermittently to eject one of the sticks While on edge by moving it in thedirection of its longitudinal aXis, and means arranged in. the path of movement of said ejected stick from the holder operating to turn the stick on one side as it leaves the holder.

8. A stick feeding mechanism for paper treating machinery comprising in combination, a holder having Walls arranged to support a plurality of substantially fiat sticks on edge one upon the other, one of the Walls of the holder embodying a pair of traveling belts, automatically operated means cooperating intermittently With one of the sticks to eject the same, and a conveyer for receiving the ejected stick and carrying it into engagement With the paper.

9. A stick feeding mechanism for paper treating machinery comprising in combination, a holder adapted to receive a plurality of sticks on edge one upon the other, retarding means having engagement With the sticks While in the holder and acting to hold the sticks against excessive movement as they enter the holder, and automatically operated means acting intermittently to eject one of the sticks.

FRANK W. MOULTON.

Witnesses H. E. STONEBRAKER, RUSSELL B. GRIFFITH.

fiopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Qommissioner of Patents Washington, I). 0." 

